Etymology

barb

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Today it means: The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else. Full definition →

Middle English barbe ← Middle French barbe ← Old French barbe
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barb · noun, verb1

  1. Old French · derived frombarbe“beard, beard-like element”
  2. Middle French · derived frombarbe
  3. Middle English · inherited frombarbe
  4. English todaybarb

PIE word *bʰardʰéh₂ From Middle English barbe, from Middle French barbe, from Old French barbe (“beard, beard-like element”). Doublet of beard.

barb · noun2

Clipping of Barbary.

barb · noun3

Clipping of barbiturate.

barb · noun, verb4

Corruption of bard.

barb · noun5

Clipping of barbarian.

Barb · noun6

Clipping of Barbie, from Harajuku Barbie, an alter-ego of Nicki Minaj.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.